Summer Albuca

Monica Swartz eciton@utexas.edu
Mon, 08 Feb 2016 19:29:07 PST
Hi Uli,
The biggest summer growing Albuca I grow is easily A. pulchra (sx 
#661). It likes it pretty dry so I use lots of pumice and an enormous 
unglazed clay pot.  The inflorescence is two meters tall each year 
with mostly green and cream colored upwards facing flowers. The top 
of the inflorescence has a big brush of green threads (stipules?) 
like a crazy top knot of hair. With the big erect bluish leaves with 
speckles at the base, this is a dramatic plant that gets attention. 
It's dry winter dormant.
	Keep watch for Albuca abyssinica and A. virens. I'll try to 
send some to the bx this year again. Both are medium-large (but only 
half the size of A. pulchra) summer growing/winter dormant species 
that put on a good show.
	Recent BX offerings have had seed of the evergreen A. 
nelsoni, which is a good size plant. However, all of these summer 
growers don't have yellow flowers. The only summer grower I have with 
yellow flowers is A. tortuosa, but it has never set seed for me or 
offset in 20+ years. Perhaps someone else has better luck with this 
medium sized species and can share?
	Also, grab an Albuca crispa if you ever get a chance, it's my 
favorite summer Albuca and the closest summer gets to the crazy 
leaves of the winter-growers.
monica



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